Christie also appears on a regular radio program called "Ask the Governor" and is a veritable fixture on New York and Philadelphia newscasts and at events throughout the Garden State.
During Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, there even appeared to be multiple Christies. He was at storm-control HQ just outside Trenton or, almost simultaneously, at any one of dozens of storm-ravaged areas, surveying damage, listening to residents, commandeering aid, thanking and encouraging first-responders and doing everything he could to lift the spirits of New Jerseyans.
As New Jersey was assaulted by back-to-back storms, he seemed to work without a break.
I know of no New Jersey governor (with the possible exception of Richard J. Hughes, who served from 1962 to 1970) who's been more visible and accessible than Christie. And, surely, no governor has been easier to spot. C'mon . . . it's not like you can't find Christie if you're looking for him.
And yet this doesn't seem to be enough for some people - at least not for state Sen. Loretta Weinberg and some other state Democrats and liberal activists.
Weinberg is pushing legislation that would amount to a sort of Christie surveillance tool. It would require the governor to notify the Legislature's top leaders any time he leaves the state. Well, New Jersey is only 70 miles wide and 170 miles from top to bottom, so at times it can seem a bit confining. And the governor has become a national figure who's in demand all over the country (he spoke at the Reagan Library in California on Tuesday), which means he sometimes leaves the state. He says this is helpful because he promotes a positive public image for the state and tells the story of how New Jersey is emerging from its economic troubles and getting back on track. (While trying to undo some of the damage from Snooki & Co.)
